Handbrake

[t-tony]

Not about being perfect Howard, this is my trade and I do it all the time. As @Grumps said we ALL learn on here, just accept that no one knows it all and reap the benefits. You sorted your own parking brake at no cost, what could be better ?

Tony.

 

[gookah]

Hi Howard,
Please don't think anyone is having a go,
I personally was sharing info from today, where I have found out my mistake and couldn't understand why the handbrake was so poor. Now I know why, I just want to let others be aware in case they have done it the way I did, and can't understand why it may be not holding well..

Nothing wrong at all with the way you did it, because as you say you can check all the internals.
But if all you need is a slight adjustment, then people are advising that there is also a quick way through a bolt hole:

 

[t-tony]

If you have a look through the articles on here you will find, amongst others, my write up on fitting new parking brake cables which includes adjusting the shoes as well.

https://zroadster.org/articles/bmw-z3-parking-brake-cable-replacement.80/

It's posted on here to help, not criticise, use it. It's free info.

Tony.

 

[Dino D]

This is what it's all about, discussion of the ways we can do stuff on these cars helps us all!

Do you need to have the wheel off the ground to adjust it via the bolt hole?
If so one wheel at a time or both at the same time?

 

[t-tony]

This is what it's all about, discussion of the ways we can do stuff on these cars helps us all!

Do you need to have the wheel off the ground to adjust it via the bolt hole?
If so one wheel at a time or both at the same time?

Best practice is both wheels off the ground. Make sue there is "slack " in the cables before carrying out the next adjustments. Push the pads/pistons back (if you take the wheels off which allows you to see if they're sticking - or not!) and then adjust the parking brake shoes right up till they lock the drum. Gently tap the outside of the drum and see if the adjuster can be adjusted even more. When you have adjusted the shoes as much as is possible, de-adjust the shoes until the drum turns freely ( about 4-5 clicks on the adjuster).

Tony.

 

[gookah]

This is what it's all about, discussion of the ways we can do stuff on these cars helps us all!

Do you need to have the wheel off the ground to adjust it via the bolt hole?
If so one wheel at a time or both at the same time?

Its easier with the wheel off the ground as you can turn it and see when it starts to drag or release
one side at a time is fine also

 

[Dino D]

Hi

That's a useful pic - which way tightens it?

 

[t-tony]

In that picture, clockwise, BUT it does depend on if some one has had it in bits and then but together correctly.

Tony.

 

[gookah]

That's a useful pic - which way tightens it?

That was my Drivers side, and to tighten, the cog was flicked downwards.
It was upwards on the passenger side..
HOWEVER, those cogs can be fitted either way round inside the shoes, so it would be the opposite on cars where they are reversed.
Basically it will look you are trying to screw the cog clockwise into the barrel to tighten the shoes up.

 

[t-tony]

Because the adjusters are BOTH right hand thread.

Tony.

 

[Grumps]

@Howard. There is a fair amount of banter on here and it can be sometimes misleading especially to the newbies that don't know us yet.
There is a wealth of knowledge on here from certain members that really know their stuff or from looking up old threads. Mechanically I know very little and lean far to much on certain members for help and advice.
Thing is they are always happy to oblige. Once you get used to us we are a good bunch. Believe me I've made some pretty major cock ups whilst I've been on here but someone has always bailed me out.

 

[hard top]

someone has always bailed me out.

Yeah, me you t**t.....